So, I'm still getting used to doing the blog thing, and trying to figure out what kind of fun stuff there is to write about. I went to the movies this weekend and saw "The Legend of Zorro," so I figured, what an opportunity to try for a movie review! I've never done one of these before, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Here goes.

Going in to see this movie, I was figuring that there was no way it could top its predecessor. For any movie maker, having a follow-up be as good as the first is extremely difficult, borderline impossible. However, I still expected great things from this film. And overall, I was not disappointed. The movie started out a little slow, and I felt that it started out somewhat awkwardly, in a way unsure of itself, not sure where it wanted to go. But gradually, a story began to take shape, and the new characters that were introduced suddenly had a reason for being there.

As far as the acting goes, it was not as good as the first movie, as there was less to work with. In some ways, the screenwriting was hardly satisfying as far as character development is concerned, given that 10 years have passed in the story. As for the plot, I liked the new idea, but I did find it quite similar to the first movie in some respects. If you have seen "The Fugitive," and then its follow-up, "U.S. Marshalls," you'll know what I'm talking about.

Now, critiquing aside, there was much to enjoy about this film. The setting stayed true to form, and the idea of Zorro himself remained, for the most part, the legendary person he is. Sword fights were not overdone, and in some ways I wish there would have been more. There was enough action, though, to keep this though from entering my mind, in fact until I sat down to write this. Also, the film is quite humorous, and some of my favorite parts were just the bits of random funny lines and facial expressions that were included. I would have to say that one of the funniest parts had to do with the pipe (the kind you smoke), and all the antics its inclusion entailed. Good times.

I will end my little review here. I must say that it has been an interesting experience. Hopefully, the reviews I choose to write in the future will be far better than this one. But hey, you have to start somewhere.

I posted message on my Yahoo group, "Real Gay People," and thought it would be worth posting here as well. There's still more to consider for it, but I like the overall idea of it. So without further ado, here it is:

I got to thinking today about the recent election, and had in mind the whole idea of Texas amending their constitution to ban gay marriage. This, to me, is not something that should be in a constitution, but that's not the point I wanted to make.

I am for gay marriage, not only because I have a vested interested in it, and for more reasons than simply equality. I think allowing gay couples to marry would do much to improve the current situation of the gay community. Like it or not, many in the gay commnity are promiscuous (of course, that's true for the hetero world as well), and thereis a problem especially among gay men of STDs being spread. Do a Google News search for "gay" and chances are you'll find articles published by the medical profession about the rise of STD rates in gay men (less so than for lesbians). The far right takes this information and declares the gay "lifestyle" an unhealthy one, fraught with problems and disease.

However, I see things differently. For me, it has been difficult to find people who are interested in a real relationship, instead seeming more interested in sex. I know that not everyone is like this, as I myself am not, and really do want a lasting relationship. Call me an idealist, but I love the idea of a life partner, someone with whom I can share my life wholly and without guilt or worry. This is why I think marriage for gay couples should be encouraged.

After having read and listened to many people's stories, I have seen some interesting trends. I have noticed that gay people wind up meeting and then living together shortly after they begin dating, sometimes within a matter of weeks or a few months. I do know of straight people who do this too, but I know of even more straight people who date for longer periods before moving in, and many do look forward to getting married. If gay couples had the benefit of marriage, it might encourage many to have more formal periods of dating, and then eventually getting marriage. I have no doubt in my mind that it would give hope to many more young people (I include myself here), and maybe we would see a trend to a healthier community.

Whether we want to see them or not, the gay community does have its downsides (after all, what community doesn't?), and we must work as a group to improve things. It will be yet another reason to celebrate differences, and to improve all our lives.

So tonight I went out to the local pizza place for dinner with my brothers, and wouldn't you know it, but we got some entertainment along with our pizza and root beer. Granted, it was at someone else's expense, but I found myself laughing hysterically at the situation before my eyes. I couldn't help it.

I'll set the scene: we arrive and pick a table, and at the table next to us is a couple, man and woman, whom I would guess are young professionals, maybe out of college by several years. I would peg it as a first or second date. The girl was extremely talkative, one of those people who seems to like to hear the sound of their own voice. She also gesticulated wildly the whole time she was talking.

Kudos go to the guy, who sat and did his best to seem interested (when he was definitely far from interested) in what she had to say. I first picked up on this, when after seeing that he had just finished eating his pizza, he leaned back and closed his eyes. My brother commented that the poor guy had had no chance to get a word in edgewise, and I followed with a crack to the effect that that's why he was closing his eyes: he was falling asleep while listening to her.

I really thought that it was a clever crack on my part, but I quickly discovered that it was the truth. His eyes stayed closed, and I recognized instantly the signs of sleep, such as the head lolling a bit (I have much experience with this form of sleep, I've taken my share of boring lecture classes). The guy was falling asleep while his date kept yakking. To top things off, the girl didn't seem to notice, or care, about the fact that her date was dozing!

Needless to say, this spectacle turned out to be the high point of my day, I haven't laughed so long in quite a while. We were there for about an hour and a half, and the this date started before our arrival on the scene, took place the whole time we were there, and continued after we left!

I want to thank these two unwitting people for giving me a memory that will remain imprinted in my mind for a long time to come, and will cheer me up when I'm feeling blue. Who would've thought a bad date could be so good for someone else?

So finally, I am getting everything put together for this. I have set up my brand new Yahoo Group, called Real Gay People. It has been a fun process, figuring out what exactly I want the group to be about and who it pertains to. I have come to the conclusion that this group is for anyone and everyone, be they GLBT, straight, somewhere in between. I definitely want gay people to join and be able to voice their thoughts and frustrations, but I also want family and friends to join and voice their thoughts. It will be a great place for everyone to share knowledge and ideas, and I think everyone will benefit greatly from it. Also, it will be a place for me to voice my own thoughts, feelings, frustrations, hopes, wishes, dreams, and the like. I hope it takes off well!

**Update 8/23/07: The picture you see above was not included in this blog entry. I posted it here so that I could have a cool little profile picture here on Blogger. Pretty savvy of me, huh.